Processing facilities and other facilities routinely include tanks for storing liquid materials and other materials. For example, storage tanks are routinely used in tank farms and other storage facilities to store oil or other materials. As another example, oil tankers and other liquid transport vessels routinely include numerous tanks storing oil or other materials.
Various measurements often need to be taken of materials in tanks. For example, the material level in a loaded tank often must be measured very accurately to determine the total quantity of materials in the tank. For inventory control involving oil storage, for instance, it is common practice to obtain at least three accurate measurements: product level (ullage), product temperature, and bottom water level.
As another example, customers typically like to make maximum use of storage capacity when loading a tanker, meaning onboard tanks are filled to their highest points. Accurate tank measurements are also often important for onboard operational safety and stability.
Measurements related to these and other applications or operations are often performed using portable gauges. The portable gauges typically release a connecting structure (such as a graduated, magnetic-coded, or perforated tape) into a tank to measure the distance to materials (product) in the tank. The use of portable gauges often requires intense concentration by operators or other personnel. This often makes it difficult for the personnel to obtain accurate readings, especially when the material level is continuously changing, which can result in inadequate data collection.